If you’re a customer of Archie Lee’s Restaurant or Convenience Store on the Boulevard, you know by now that the popular after hour store has been closed since Friday night. That is when Special Constables from the City Council stormed in and closed down the shop. The reason is that Archie Lee’s liquor license expired at the end of January. Archie lee says he applied to renew his license and he even sent the City Council a check. But he put a stop order on that check after he was told his license would be denied. We spoke to Archie Lee and to Mayor Zenaida Moya.
Archie Lee,
“Last Friday around nine o’clock the two Special Constables came in to my restaurant and to my convenience store and said I have to close down the business. So I asked them why I have to close the business and they didn’t say nothing. They only said they got instructions to come and close
my business. I argued with him. The argument is I told you can do anything but at least you give me something in writing.
I asked for the letter from the second of February, I asked them to give me something in writing, so that I could fight the thing in the Ministry or in the court but up to now nothing, nothing. Nothing in writing.”
Keith Swift,
So what are you going to do?
Archie Lee,
“Well now I will be discussing with my attorney and see what is the next step. But from since I closed down the door from last Friday, the whole weekend I didn’t open and then I got a lot of things that already get stale, especially the bread and the bun. I will sue them to pay me for those damages.”
Keith Swift,
But you don’t have a license because your license expired and you haven’t renewed it. Why haven’t you renewed your license?
Archie Lee,
“Well when I tried to send the application to renew the license and one of my friends who works in City Council told me that they already got instructions to don’t give me the renewal of the license. Earlier in January, whenever they have the approval meeting in City Hall, as soon as they finished the meeting, they already decided that they would not renew my license, my two liquor licenses.”
Keith Swift,
So that’s why you stopped payment on the check?
Archie Lee,
“Yes of course.”
Mayor Zenaida Moya,
“I am not aware of any business being closed down by that. That particular establishment didn’t get an amendment to its license, to its liquor license. So it can continue to sell as usual as a convenience store. But I believe it is after 12 midnight or something like that that it cannot continues to sell liquor as a convenience store establishment which any other establishment that has that particular license ensures they respect. I wish that Mr. Archie Lee would respect that and be a law abiding business owner.”
Archie Lee says the matter is in the hands of his lawyer and until it is worked out – you will have to find somewhere else to do after hours shopping. Archie lee claims that he has been summoned 52 times since the UDP took over the City Council.
